Everything happened suddenly: Maha min on Pawar coup
July 03, 2023 19:13
![image](https://im.rediff.com/news/2023/jul/03ajit-shinde.jpg)
Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai on Monday said the chain of events that resulted in Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde government happened "suddenly" and asserted that all Shiv Sena legislators were happy.
Pawar joined the government as deputy chief minister while eight MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal, were made ministers on Sunday.
The Thane guardian minister said a cabinet expansion was on the cards, adding that 13 berths are now left after Sunday's induction saw nine new ministers.
"Even us ministers were not aware (of Sunday's developments). We were told to meet at Raj Bhavan. Everything happened suddenly," he said in a press conference in Thane.
Queried on allegations of corruption that the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP had made against NCP leaders, some of whom have now joined the government, Desai said the "changed equations" will change "our views about them (NCP leaders) and theirs about us".
"None of the Shiv Sena legislators are unhappy (over Sunday's developments)," he asserted.